Grupo Vitácea Brasil continues to expand its investments in innovation and technology applied to fruit plant production. As part of this drive, agronomist Patrícia Ulguim, recently joined to the company's team and responsible for the biotechnology area, conducted a technical visit to Grupo Hijuelas in Chile during the first week of March, one of the world's leading enterprises in the production of fruit and ornamental plants.
During the visit, Patrícia had the opportunity to gain detailed insight into the different stages involved in plant production through advanced propagation systems. The technical itinerary included monitoring of the entire production process, from the selection and maintenance of mother plants, through in vitro establishment, multiplication and rooting phases, to the final stage of plant acclimatisation in a controlled environment.
Beyond micropropagation techniques, the visit also allowed observation of the high level of technology employed in the nursery's operations. One of the highlights was the use of automated systems, including a robot that assists in the transplanting process during one of the production phases, contributing to efficiency gains, standardisation and scale in the production system.
Another point observed was the rigorous quality control adopted at every stage of plant production. Phytosanitary monitoring and continuous technical oversight ensure a high standard of plant health and uniformity of the plants produced, factors fundamental to the sustainability and productivity of fruit-growing systems.
The experience provided an important exchange of knowledge and exposure to new working methodologies, which could contribute to the development of technical protocols aimed at large-scale fruit plant production through micropropagation.
The visit also reinforces Vitácea's expansion phase in the fruit-growing sector. The company has been investing in laboratory infrastructure, specialised equipment and technical training, with the aim of developing the Vitácea Fruit Growing project, focused on the production of fruit plants with high genetic and phytosanitary standards.
About Patrícia Ulguim
Patrícia Ulguim holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), a Master's degree in Science from the Temperate Climate Fruit Growing Post-Graduate Programme at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), and a PhD in Horticulture from the Post-Graduate Horticulture Programme at São Paulo State University (UNESP).
With solid academic training and experience in plant physiology, tissue culture and plant production, Patrícia has joined Vitácea's technical team, contributing directly to the development of technologies and protocols focused on plant biotechnology applied to fruit growing. Her role marks another step for Vitácea in consolidating a technology platform focused on innovation, applied research and fruit plant production to a high quality standard.
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